A Chocolate Croissant Thief (stole my heart)
by silverliningineachcloud
Summary: DEO agent Alex greatly regrets signing up for a 6:30 am combat class until she encounters a strange being in the park on her way there, a being whom she quickly realizes needs her help. Or perhaps it's the other way around... Rated T for violence/language/description of injuries. Danvers sisters AU
1. A Walk in the Park

_**My beautiful readers! I know that I said my next Supergirl would be a sequel to In The Darkness I will Guide You but this idea was rattling around in my mind and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. So... since I wrote it, I thought I would go ahead and post it and see if anyone was interested in reading?**_

 _ **Another AU where Kara lands while Alex is an adult because I love motherlyAlex/littleKara fics.**_

 _ **For the moment, it's an exploration. I could maybe be convinced to continue...**_

 _ **Chocolate croissants are featured because they are amazing.**_

* * *

Alexandra Danvers walked down the street, running a hand through her auburn hair while simultaneously taking a sip of coffee.

It was the ungodly hour of 6 am; a time Alex still didn't know why she was awake for except that she had somehow convinced herself that a 6:30 am combat class was a good idea. It of course had seemed romantic to welcome in the day with kicking other peoples' butts when she had signed up in the evening. Now, dragged from the comfort of her bed far too early, she wasn't so sure.

The one perk of being up so early was how quiet the streets of the city were, Alex reflected as she walked through them. Far above the skyscrapers, the sky was streaking pink and blue as it heralded the morning. Somewhere, a solitary bird sang.

It was while cutting through the park that Alex realized she was being watched. She had just pulled out a pastry when a chill ran up her spine.

Glancing around, she couldn't see anyone, but the telltale prickle on the back of her neck told her otherwise. As an agent, she had learned to trust her instincts and right now they all were screaming at her.

Alex slowed her pace, trying to give her stalker a chance to slip up and reveal themselves.

Her efforts were rewarded when she heard a stick crack in the bushes to her left.

And suddenly, incomprehensibly quick, _something_ streaked right in front of Alex, the gust of wind knocking her coffee and chocolate croissant to the ground.

 _"_ _What the…_ "

Another rush of movement nearly spun her around before she could react and when she found her bearings again, the coffee cup was righted on the ground while the croissant was gone.

Slowly, Alex reached for the gun at her hip, eyes scanning the green foliage all around her.

Whatever that had been, it wasn't human.

Poised for action, Alex waited.

A bird sang and a soft breeze rustled the trees above, but there was no sign of whatever had stolen her pastry.

Still tensed for action, Alex reached for her coffee cup, which had been carefully set upright. There was still coffee in it, its faint warmth caressing her hand.

"Hello?" Alex finally called out.

All was still.

Briefly, Alex considered calling her boss, Henshaw, however all she had was a missing chocolate croissant as proof that anything had happened.

So, casting one last look over her shoulder, she continued on to her class.

* * *

 _Of course the dumb class she had signed up for was every morning for an entire week._ Alex grumbled as she made her way through the city. She had thought it was _once_ a week but apparently had skipped over the part that outlined she would need to be crawling out of bed before the sun was up every day.

Coffee, however, was always there for her; she reflected as she took a sip and entered the park she had cut through the day before.

The strange events of that morning suddenly ran through her mind; in the chaos of the ensuing day, she had almost forgotten. Instantly alert, she made her way down the winding path, taking a casual bite of her croissant.

The feeling of being watched returned almost immediately but this time she only had a second to register it before a form blurred before her and suddenly the croissant was gone and the bushes were bobbing violently in the wake of a huge rush of wind.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Alex drew her gun and dove into the brush, fighting away branches and leaves that attacked her face as she pushed further. "I am going to find you!"

Half an hour later, covered in little scratches, Alex grumpily entered her class.

"You uh… you have something in your hair," a classmate reached out and plucked a leaf out of her hair.

"Thanks." Alex crossed her arms and stared stormily ahead.

"There's… um… more…" her classmate told her timidly.

Alex cursed Mother Nature and pulled a stick out of her hair.

* * *

The next day, Alex brought two chocolate croissants on her walk to class, hiding one in her bag.

She had returned to the park after her class and in the evening after work, trying to find whatever had been there. She wasn't sure if it was more that she needed to find out what type of being it was to move so fast or that she was salty about her breakfast being stolen.

Either way, the being didn't seem to have evil intent, which was the only reason Alex hadn't brought Henshaw into it, along with the fact that the only evidence was two missing croissants. Although Henshaw seemed to trust her well enough, her wild claims were not going to inspire her boss's confidence unless she had proof that something was afoot.

Alex had checked every news source in the city and even hacked into recent police records to try to find any reports of an ultrafast being. Her search had brought up nothing except more uncertainty as to whether she had imagined the whole thing to begin with.

But this time, Alex was prepared. A small camera was set up in the pin on her jacket and she had chosen the largest and most chocolate-y croissant the bakery had. Stepping into the park, she nonchalantly took a bite before sitting down on a bench and placing it beside her as she pretended to relax for a moment. Taking a long sip of coffee, she gave a satisfied sigh and closed her eyes for a moment.

The bait was taken and when Alex opened her eyes, her hair was blown in every which direction and the croissant was gone.

Going through a dramatic routine of expressing disappointment and frustration, Alex finally huffed in annoyance and left the park. Once a safe distance, she pulled out her extra pastry and took a happy bite.

She skipped the combat class in favor of an Internet café where she quickly pulled up the video feed from the pin camera, analyzing it on her laptop.

Brown eyes intent on the screen, Alex slowed the video down, first by 10x then 100x then 1000x.

Her eyes widened as she took in the image before her.

On the screen, a young blond girl stared straight at her, bright blue eyes shining out from her grime streaked face.

She looked like she wasn't even a teenager. It was a child… but how?

For a moment, Alex just sat there.

What was she going to do?

* * *

The next morning, Alex felt a rush of relief as the prickling of the back of her neck that alerted her that she was being watched.

The girl was here.

Slowly, Alex made her way to the bench and sat down.

"You can have my croissant," she addressed the bushes. "Here." Alex placed the pastry on a rock and turned to face the opposite way.

There was a quick rustle and after a moment Alex sat back down on the bench to look at the bushes and rock where the croissant had disappeared.

Certain the girl was still there, Alex slowly pulled out a lunchbox. She could feel the being's eyes on her. "It's more food, for you." She unzipped it and placed it on the rock, displaying fruit, a sandwich, cookies, granola bars, and, of course, another chocolate croissant. "Please. I don't want to hurt you."

As Alex said the words, she knew they were true. She didn't know what this small being was doing out in National City so early in the mornings, but she had a feeling the girl didn't have a home. And by the way she stole food, she didn't seem to have anyone feeding her either.

But the forest before her was silent.

Just when Alex was considering leaving so the girl would take the food while she was gone, a soft noise caught her attention.

At first, Alex couldn't tell the difference in the scene before her but then she found them; two blue eyes staring out at her from among the leaves and branches.

"Hey," Alex breathed, not wanting to scare her. She gave the friendliest smile she had ever mustered in her life.

The blue eyes blinked. Then slowly the branches parted and a small girl stepped out.

She was thin, far too thin, dirty tangled blonde hair falling around her wan face. Her clothing was a strange mismatch of torn shorts, a ragged shirt, and a plaid flannel that looked two sizes too large. And everything was covered in grime. Alex could barely see the girl's pale skin behind the layer of grime except where it shone out in lines down her face.

Tear tracks.

Alex stared into those bright blue, red rimmed, darkly shadowed eyes and saw a depth of fear and sadness that tore her breath right from her lungs.

For a moment they just stared at each other.

A sudden birdcall caused the girl to tense, wild eye sweeping the surroundings.

"It's… It's okay," Alex whispered.

Slowly the girl relaxed. She reached for the food, her eyes never leaving Alex. Her hand landed on the lunch box, picking it up.

And then suddenly she was gone, the place where she had been standing filled with nothing but swaying plants.

"Wait!" Alex jumped to her feet. "Please, let me help you. My name is Alex and I _promise_ , I just want to help. I won't hurt you…"

The park was silent.

* * *

It was Friday morning and the combat class had been cancelled due to one of the instructors being injured, but Alex was in the park before the sun even rose.

She laid out food and a bundle of clean, warm clothes.

 _Come on,_ she begged the waiting plants around her. _Please come_.

Alex wasn't sure what it was about the girl. At first she had thought that maybe she was just curious to figure out what sort of being the girl was. Then Alex realized it: she cared about this little chocolate croissant thief. She wanted her to be safe and loved, like the child she was.

"I have food," she called out softly.

Still, the surrounding trees were silent.

Alex sighed, dropping her head into her hands. She had scared the being away.

Or…

Sudden fear filled her as she imagined the possibilities of what could have happened to a small girl out alone in the big city.

 _She's fast_ , she reminded herself. _She could get away from anything._

But for some reason, Alex couldn't seem to pull herself away from the park, even as the sun filled the cracks of the city with light and other people began emerging from their homes.

Finally giving up, Alex left the supplies under a bush, hoping maybe the girl would find them later, and left.

Work was a nightmare, so much so that Alex had to push all thoughts of the blue-eyed-girl out of her mind. With a large insect-like alien destroying Main Street, she had to keep her focus.

The DEO swept in fast and was knocked down even faster by the alien's incredible strength and sharp serrated limbs. Its exoskeleton, a shiny sickly color of purple, was impervious to the many bullets they had rained down.

Alex was just moving to regroup with her team behind a dumpster when one stick-like limb knocked down the dumpster in one blow.

She went tumbling down, laying stunned for a moment before trying to scramble to her feet, only to find that her leg had been pinned by the dumpster.

Trapped, her hands tightened around her gun that was somehow still in her grip.

She knew it was useless, but she fired at the alien as its head slowly moved toward her, its hinged jaw swinging open.

Suddenly, there was a familiar rush of wind, and the alien fell back, shrieking and fighting something that Alex couldn't quiet make out.

As she stared at the blur streaking around the insect-alien, she suddenly realized what it was.

The girl.

Her little chocolate croissant thief.

Still pinned, she could only watch as the two beings tussled; one huge and vicious, the other tiny but determined.

A cry caught in her throat as a long limb slammed into the girl's middle, throwing her back through a wall. But before it could even leave her mouth, the girl was back and clinging to the alien's head. It bucked and jerked, but she held on, small arms wrapped around its skinny neck until finally it collapsed.

By the time someone was able to free Alex from the dumpster, the girl was long gone.

* * *

That night, back home, Alex couldn't sleep. She walked, limping slightly, to the balcony of her apartment and stared out.

Somewhere, that girl was out there.

Alex wished she could thank her for saving her life. She wished she could ask her who was taking care of her and why she was so hungry and dirty. She wished she could ask her where she had come from and if she had somewhere to go.

 _What's your name?_

The moon only stared silently back at her, a sliver above the dark city.

Just as she was about to turn to go to bed, the jarring sound of metal hitting cement and bottles clanking and shattering caught her attention. Peering down, she could see that a trashcan had been knocked over.

Grumbling at the lowlife thugs in the area while also secretly glad for the distraction, Alex headed down the stairs to investigate.

"Hello?" she called out.

A small figure stumbled out and Alex froze at the sight of the girl.

Her skin was washed out under the dirt on her face and she seemed to be barely standing. One arm was wrapped around her middle.

"Hi," Alex said quietly. "You found where I live."

The girl stared at her, blue eyes alarmingly dull.

"Do you need help?" Alex moved forward very slowly and to her surprise, the girl didn't disappear. "I won't hurt you."

She was close enough to the girl to finally notice the crimson that was soaking through the flannel that the girl was holding to her stomach. Alex's eyes widened, a sickening feeling of fear washing over her.

The girl was hurt. Seriously hurt.

If she messed up and scared her away, heavens knew if the girl would make it the night on her own.

"Kid, let me help you," she said gently, taking another step, holding her hands up and praying under her breath that the girl wouldn't run.

The girl just swayed on her feet. Blood was dripping to the ground below her, Alex noticed with a fresh wave of fear.

She took another step.

The girl collapsed.

* * *

Alex didn't call an ambulance, not when she knew the girl wasn't human. She didn't call the DEO either; she was their main expert in alien physiology and trying to explain the situation would take more time than the girl had.

Instead she put a sheet over the kitchen table and laid the girl on it, her heart roaring in her ears and her mind screaming to her lungs.

The girl's arm fell away from her abdomen and Alex's heart clenched at the sad attempt at a bandage the girl had made using the flannel she had been wearing earlier. Gently pulling the blood soaked cloth away from the wound, Alex gasped at what she found underneath.

A deep gash ran diagonally from the bottom of the girl's ribcage to right around her belly button. Whatever it was that had caused the gash was still in there; a thick piece of what almost looked like glass lodged deeply and peeking out just past the flesh.

Staring at the damage before her, Alex almost threw up, not because of the gruesome wound but because Alex could see no way that the girl could survive this type of injury.

 _Why, why, why… Who would do this to a little girl? How had this happened?_

Alex stood frozen for a moment before moving quickly into action. She would do her best and pray that it was enough.

Examining the wound more carefully, Alex noticed something very strange. The skin around the wound was _moving_. Leaning closer, she examined the movement, eyes widening as she realized what was happening.

The girl's body was trying to knit itself back together, but couldn't because of the piece of glass sticking out.

A rush of hope filled Alex. If she could pull out the piece of glass, the girl's body might heal itself.

Urgently, she reached for her medical tools and set to work. As she worked, she talked, telling the girl about how brave she was, about how when she woke up there would be a pile of chocolate croissants waiting, about how she needed to keep fighting for a little longer and then Alex would fight for her.

The amount of blood that was spilling out onto the table set even Alex's stomach turning, however she pressed forward, knowing that every second mattered. Finally she pulled out the piece of what she had thought was glass and tossed it aside. It clattered on the table as Alex rushed to sew the wound together to try to quell the bleeding.

However when she brought the needle down on the girl's skin, it broke.

Alex stared at what had been her sharpest medical tool.

Invincible skin.

Alex clenched her jaw. She was starting to suspect what species this girl was and it made no sense.

Still, she focused her attention on slowing the bleeding the best she could before grabbing a light she used for her plants and aiming it directly at the wound. She hoped she had guessed the girl's species accurately and that her faint knowledge on the type of being was correct.

"Come on," she whispered, one hand holding the lamp steady and her other hand reaching out to take the girl's. It was small and cold in hers. "Just pull through the night, okay? After that, we'll figure it all out. We'll figure it out together. You don't have to be alone."

The girl's breathing was shallow, wet and rasping, and Alex once again debated whether she should bring in the DEO. However, she knew that the DEO had no materials to treat Kryptonians; Superman went elsewhere for his medical treatment and nobody knew where. Moving the girl would only endanger her further. And Alex knew her boss; this girl would never leave the DEO basement if she brought her to him. The man believed all aliens were evil. Hell, she didn't even know if the girl would get proper medical treatment there.

Here was best. As sad as it seemed, the makeshift operating room that was actually the table where she ate dinner was the girl's best shot.

Alex tore her eyes form the girl for a moment to try to figure out what had managed to penetrate the girl's skin. She picked up the piece of glass, still slick with blood.

With sickening horror, she realized what the material was and why it looked so familiar.

It was a piece of the insect-alien's shiny exoskeleton that had nearly killed her earlier in the day. That most definitely would have killed her if not for…

Alex's gaze went back to the girl's face, remembering seeing one of the insect-alien's limbs hit her in the stomach. The wound rapidly explained itself; she had been injured by the blow and a piece had broken off as it lodged itself inside her.

Alex could only imagine the pain the girl had been in. Yet she had continued to fight.

And what for? For… for her?

Guilt raced through Alex's veins. _She_ should be the one bleeding out on this table, not a small girl.

 _Why?_ She wondered once again, however, this time the question was completely different.

Another realization hit Alex; the girl had been bleeding out all day before she had sought help. This girl was very scared of something.

Stroking the blonde hair, Alex silently promised that if the girl made it, she would make sure she had nothing to be afraid of.

A soft exhale caught her attention and she checked the girl's face for any signs of consciousness but found none. Then she checked the wound and gasped.

All that was left was a small scratch that was quickly fading away.

Her hand quickly went to the girl's neck, feeling that her pulse had picked up to a healthier level, her breathing losing the wet rasp.

The girl was going to make it.

At a kitchen table covered by a crimson stained sheet, surrounded by blood, Alex suddenly found herself sobbing with relief.

* * *

 _ **What do you think?**_

 ** _This really came out of nowhere and I don't know what I'll be doing with it, so if you'd like to see it continue, let me know._**

 ** _Maybe a chapter of Kara's POV would be nice? We'll see._**

 ** _Until next time!_**

 ** _~silverlining_**


	2. The Words I Cannot Say

_**OH MY GOODNESS.**_

 _ **The responses I** **received** **were overwhelmingly wonderful! And... so many of them!**_

 _ **So I just had to write another chapter. This one is for you, my reviewers and readers *blows kisses***_

 _ **As for Kara's age... honestly I haven't really figured that one out. I was going to go canon and say 12/13 but then I was like well why not make her younger? It is fanfiction after all!**_

 _ **To my reviewer who suggested a fic with a young Alex and older Kara... I am intrigued. I can't promise anything but the thought is rattling around in my mind so rest assured that you have planted that seed.**_

 _ **Here is Kara's POV! I have no idea what will happen next but I am thinking this will be a 3-5 chapter story.**_

 _ **IMPORTANT: There will be an scene with implied intent of sexual**_ ** _assault. I'll put a note right before it, not much is mentioned but I want to be very careful._**

* * *

When Kara Zor-El first saw the woman, the delicious smell of food overwhelmed her and she took the warm crispy crescent from the woman without even thinking. Her body just reacted and the next thing she knew, she was scarfing down the most amazing piece of food she had ever tasted. It was warm and salty and sweet all at the same time.

It wasn't until she was licking her fingers that Kara realized what she had done.

 _She had stolen_.

Instantly, shame flooded through her.

 _I'm sorry._

She wanted to say the words aloud but instead stood as still as a rock and waited as the woman looked around with confusion, even calling out, before finally walking away.

Stomach aching slightly, Kara watched the woman go before heading her own way, trying to ignore the fact that she really didn't have anywhere to go.

* * *

 _The sun was bright after her time in the pod, so bright that she could barely open her eyes. Still, she pulled herself from the smooth metal, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. Wobbly and uncertain, she perched on the edge, unsure if she really wanted to enter this world._

 _Then like tidal wave, a deafening roar of sound washed over her. Fragile wings bent and twisted, her hands curled around her head so tight she could feel the faint prick of her fingernails breaking skin._

 _In the cacophony, figures loomed closer and through the chaos she could still hear their voices clearly._

 _"_ _Well, well, if it isn't Alura's daughter... Right where Indigo said you would be. Come with us, little Zor-El. We have a score to settle."_

 _Their hands reached and her legs reacted._

 _She was running, running, running…_

 _But although she ran faster than she had ever run, faster than she had thought was even possible, she couldn't escape the noise that wailed all around her._

* * *

The next morning, as soon as the birds started singing, Kara emerged from the little hollow she had carved in a rock. She carefully lifting another boulder to obscure her hiding place and was ready to take off, when she heard the soft thud of feet on the nearest path.

The woman was back, strolling casually through the park. And more importantly, the delicious piece of food was once again in her hand.

Some part of Kara, the starving part that she had been trying to ignore, activated and she was holding the warm treat before she even could process what had happened.

This time the woman reacted as well.

She pulled out a gun, not that Kara was scared of the guns here but she did find that interesting, and then the woman plunged into the forest. She didn't really seem very angry, more annoyed than anything, and Kara found herself watching interestedly from her perch high in a tree.

 _I'm sorry._

She let the words rattle around her brain as she wiped her slightly sticky hands on her shorts.

She imagined what it would be like to open her mouth and breathe sound into the air. It had been so long that she couldn't even remember what her own voice sounded like, except the screams that woke her up every night.

* * *

 _ **[Warning: implied intent of sexual** **assault in this scene** **]**_

 _She ran for a long time before she found human civilization. Then she slowed._

 _In reality, she never really stopped._

 _It was more of a pause than anything, just long enough for a tall man to find her curled up on a park bench. She understood enough of his language to recognize that he was promising food and she was so hungry that she followed._

 _When they arrived at a small room with nothing but a bed, her sight shifted and suddenly she could see right into the man's ribcage, at his curved ribs and raging heart. She could see through the walls to rows and rows of rooms with beds, some empty and some filled. But most of all, she suddenly saw right through the man to his dark intent._

 _She turned to go and he grabbed her wrist. Her vision paused on the contact, the bones in his hand shining at her through his skin._

 _She pulled sharply, easily, away. He pulled out a knife, snarled like an animal, and advanced._

 _She froze. The knife hit her arm._

 _It shattered._

 _His eyes widened, mouth opening, a scream forming in his lungs. The sound poured into her ears and set her mind afire._

 _In her panic to get away, her arm caught his chest and something cracked. The man's scream stopped abruptly and she paused at the door to look back._

 _The man was staring at her, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. Her vision shifted again and she could see his broken ribcage and blood pooling beneath his skin._

 _The next scream was her own._

 _She continued her run._

* * *

The woman was back and this time Kara could see that she had two pieces of food with her; one in her hand, the other hidden away in her bag.

Kara debated what to do.

The woman definitely knew she was there. She had come looking for her yesterday again.

Every part of Kara's brain was screaming at her to leave and never come back, that this was getting too dangerous, but when the woman placed the crumbly treat on the bench, it was once again Kara's stomach that won. The food was in her hands in a moment.

She watched as the woman expressed her frustration but could tell that she wasn't actually upset. Maybe it was because she had another one tucked away in her bag.

So then why did she give one to Kara and pretend to be upset?

It hadn't seemed like a trap, but maybe something was going on that she didn't realize. Suddenly alert, Kara scoped out the foliage around her.

Everything was calm and green, her vision reveal layers of plants, her ears picking up the quiet murmuring of birds and huffing of little creatures, but nothing out of the ordinary.

If she knew the woman was there and the woman knew she was there, that meant…

Well, she didn't know what it meant except that for a small second she didn't feel so absolutely alone.

* * *

 _The sun had risen and fallen before she slowed her pace again. Her body, although apparently able to deflect a knife, could not take much more of the sleepless nights and lack of food. So she stopped, well more like collapsed, in a large building that seemed to be abandoned._

 _She had slowly been learning to calm her ears and her eyes but no matter what she did, her mind continued to race. She curled up in a pile of straw in the building and silently cried._

 _This new world was far too heavy for her small shoulders. It had settled its weight on her chest and squeezed all her words and air out until she could barely breathe. For a moment she even forgot her hunger in the wake of her fear and sorrow and loneliness._

 _A soft noise jerked her out of her feverish mourning and she scrambled to her feet to find a girl who looked around her own age staring at her from the door of the building. S_ _he tried to run but her legs gave in and her body gave up; there was no more energy to keep going. She closed her eyes and resigned herself to whatever would happen._

 _To her surprise, the footsteps left then quickly returned. A soft scrape of something being placed on the ground convinced her to pry open her eyes._

 _Food. The human girl had brought her food._

 _She was choking it down before she even registered its presence, overwhelmed with relief for the nourishment and shame over what she had been reduced to. The girl sat on the ground and asked a few words in English. Although She understood, she shook her head. Even the sound that was her own name would not leave her lips if she tried._

 _The girl brought food a couple more times until Kara was finally able to stand again. But when the girl brought an older human with her, a tall woman, she was taken by surprise and her eyes began to burn. Blue poured from her vision while the humans' screaming grated against her ears. As her gaze met the straw, it burst into flames and she looked wildly all around, unable to escape the heat behind her eyes, as quickly the fire spread._

 _Holding her hands over her face, she realized it was her who was causing the destruction._

 _The girl and her adult were running away, leaving her shaking in the wake of their fear._

 _She had seen it in their eyes; they were afraid of her._

 _She left as fast as she could, forcing herself not to turn and look at the smoke billowing in her wake._

* * *

Kara was waiting the next morning for the woman to come. She had woken up crying and could still feel the tears drying on her cheeks.

She hadn't bothered to wipe them away, just bolted up the nearest tree and begun her vigil even when she didn't know what she really was waiting for.

Perched in one of the trees, she could see the bobbing auburn head enter the park far before she reached the bench.

Something about the woman was different today, she seemed… more cautious. No, not cautious. Gentle. Careful. She moved smoothly, as if trying to approach a wild animal that might run away at any moment.

That wild animal, Kara realized, would be her.

Still, she was fascinated and so she watched.

"You can have my croissant," the woman said, staring at the bushes below Kara. "Here," She placed the piece of food on a rock and turned away.

 _Croissant_. Kara played with the word silently, rolling it around in her mouth. Was that what the food was? She imagined saying it but the sound stuck in her throat, along with all her other words.

The croissant, if that was what it was called, was just sitting on the rock and the woman was facing the other way so Kara quietly jumped out of the tree into the bushes to grab it before jumping back up.

She chewed on the amazingly delicious treat quietly, her eyes glued to the woman who was slowly pulling out a small grey box.

"It's more food, for you," the woman said, showing a wealth of different edibles inside. "Please. I don't want to hurt you." Her English words were soft.

Kara sat silently in the tree, not knowing what to do.

Her mind was so tired she could barely sort through all the different thoughts rampaging through it. So for a while, she just sat.

Then, finally, after confirming there weren't any other people around and there was no trap that she could see, Kara dropped out of the tree into the bushes. She stared out from between the branches and for the first time looked straight into the women's eyes.

They were a soft brown, kind and gentle.

Kara swallowed hard.

"Hey," the woman breathed and gave a friendly smile.

Heart trembling, mind too exhausted to protest, Kara blinked then slowly took a step out of the bushes. Her eyes never left those of the woman's. It had been a long time since she had actually made eye contact with anyone and now that she had, she couldn't look away. Instead she watched the display of emotions that flickered across the woman's face. Concern. Worry. Care.

A bird called out and Kara tore her gaze away, ready to run, always ready to run.

"It's… It's okay," the woman whispered.

Kara willed her restless feet to let her stay a little longer, finally looking down at the food.

Although she had established a somewhat successful routine of scavenging through trash, she was endlessly hungry. The little box full of different items seemed like a feast.

She picked it up, held it, felt its weight, and was suddenly overwhelmed.

Her feet finally took control and she was racing away.

Even from a distance, she could hear the woman's words clearly.

"Please, let me help you. My name is Alex and I _promise_ , I just want to help. I won't hurt you…"

 _Alex._

Kara considered the name, carefully cradling the box of food to her chest. She ran it silently over her tongue but knew no sound would fall from her lips.

* * *

 _She hadn't spoken for many moons but she hadn't realized she actually couldn't until a large red alien had found her on the edge of a town where she had been trying to find food. Teeth bared, the Saturnian spat questions she didn't understand about her aunt and mother and demanded answers she didn't have with a voice that wasn't there. She was silent and the creature threw her so hard against a tree that it splintered and crashed to the ground._

 _She started to run but the Saturnian hissed and grabbed her arm, wrenching it behind her back. The creature taunted her in barely intelligible Kryptonian, laughing at her silence._

Pathetic _, the alien had let the word fall over her as she simultaneously fought its grip and the tears threatening to spill from her eyes._

 _The gem on its forehead lit up and suddenly she felt a searing pain light up across her shoulder. Staring detachedly at angry burn that had appeared, she realized it was the first time she had been injured since arriving on the hellish planet._

 _The gem on the Saturnian's forehead lit up once again but this time all the fear inside her had built up to an unbearable pressure in her lungs and when she breathed out, the air froze around her._

 _The Saturnian, a creature from a fiery planet of gas, reeled back screeching in pain. Kara breathed again and the alien shrunk away howling._

 _When she had run as far as she could, she fell to her knees panting heavily and peeled back the burnt portion of her shirt to stare at the skin beneath. Where had once been damaged flesh was perfectly smooth and healthy skin._

 _But although her body seemed to heal itself, nothing else did._

* * *

Kara didn't sleep that night; she searched the skies for stars instead. She counted as many as she could but still couldn't find the one planet she was searching for.

 _Krypton_.

She kept looking, even though she knew she wouldn't find it, until she heard the woman's footsteps on the path and only then did she tear her gaze from the heavens above to the ground below.

The auburn haired woman was approaching earlier than usual.

 _Alex_ , Kara reminded herself of the name she had learned. _Alex._

She knew the woman had come looking for her but she couldn't move herself from her leafy perch in the tree.

She just couldn't.

The weight of her past was far too heavy for her to budge and she watched numbly as the woman laid out food and clothes and called for her.

This was for the best, she told herself as Alex waited and waited. It was safer, not just for her but also, more importantly, for Alex.

But when Alex finally left, Kara found herself following.

While before she was unable to move, now she was unable to stop. As though a string tied her to the woman's form, she followed from a distance, using her enhanced vision to make sure she was going the right way. First Alex went to her home and Kara mentally marked the location although she didn't know why.

After a little bit, the woman came out of her home in new clothes and set off for another location.

Still, Kara followed.

When Alex disappeared into a large building, Kara waited in an alley nearby.

She wanted to ask herself why she was doing this, but her mind was too tired to engage and her heart only reminded her that the woman had kind eyes.

When Alex finally emerged from the building, it was chaotically and with other people. They were all dressed in black and holding guns, running to vehicles that screeched off. At her own pace, Kara followed.

It wasn't until she saw that Alex had been pinned down and a giant alien was about to eat her that Kara realized it.

She had been following Alex because Alex had shown her kindness and Kara's worn-out, shell-of-a-being was starved for two things: food and love.

Alex had given her both.

So she moved without thinking, let desperation guide her limbs.

When her vision went dim and her abdomen screamed in pain at the foreign object that had lodged itself in it, she pushed through, hard, until she knew Alex would be safe.

Slumping against her rock in the park, unsure how she had made her way there in the haze of pain, she finally worked up the courage to look at the wound.

It certainly wasn't healing, she mused as she fought against the black wave of dizziness that wanted to sweep her from consciousness. She didn't know why and didn't have the energy to figure out why. If she had been drained before, now she was just a barely existing husk.

Somehow she wrapped her jacket around her abdomen and stumbled out of the park. It was a bit before she realized that she was heading directly for Alex's home.

Drifting in and out of consciousness, she waited, slumped behind trashcans.

When she realized that Alex was back, the world had faded to dark and she hadn't even noticed it in the blur of her own awareness. She stared upward and found the stars, searching for Krypton one more time before letting her gaze fall to Alex who was standing on the balcony, also looking at the sky.

Painstakingly, one arm wrapped around her middle, she pulled herself to her feet, stumbling and knocking over a trash can, wincing at the noise.

In a way though, it was good because even if she had the energy, no sound would fall from her lips.

When Kara heard the now-familiar footsteps approach, she stepped forward, meeting those kind eyes one last time before the night graciously swallowed her whole.

* * *

 _ **Oh boy. What have I begun?**_

 _ **Please let me know what you think! Your feedback helps me decide how to continue and how for to keep pushing the story.**_

 _ **IMPORTANT: what age do you think Kara should be? (see note at the top)**_

 _ **Until the next chapter!**_

 _ **~silverlining**_


	3. If I Run (will you follow?)

**_Back again!_**

 ** _Okay, a couple small notes_**

 ** _First, I averaged the different ages everyone suggested (it was quite a range!) and came at 10 years old!_**

 _ **Second, a quick note on Kara: she is experiencing something called selective mutism. Selective mutism is a real disorder for some children and it is not a choice. While my story suggests that Kara's mutism partially stems from trauma, I just wanted to note that research suggests that almost all children in real life who experience selective mutism are not traumatized but rather experiencing a lot of anxiety. If we want to be more psychologically accurate (which is a good thing to be) then we can also trace Kara's mutism back to anxiety as well; it seems likely she would struggle with something like that after all that has happened.**_

 _ **Third, this is a REALLY long chapter so I hope you enjoy it!**_ _ **I tried to be fair to all the characters while also accomplishing what I needed to happen for the story. Here's to hoping I did okay with that balance.**_

 _ **Alright, onward with the story!**_

 ** _I do not, never did, & probably never will own Supergirl_**

* * *

The girl was unconscious for an entire day.

Alex stayed by her side, using the convenient excuse of her injured leg to avoid going in to work. Instead she pulled the couch up to the balcony entrance, opening the doors and tried to expose the girl to as much sunlight as possible while she waited nearby in the armchair.

When she had first begun her vigil, she wasn't sure if the girl was going to make it after all. She was pale, ghostly even, from the blood loss, and that combined with her tiny thin frame gave her the sense that she might just fade away.

But the girl's chest continued to rise and fall at a steady rate and by the time the morning came, Alex thought she maybe was a shade less pale.

She finally gave into the urge she was experiencing to clean the girl's face, especially since streaks of blood now mingled with the dirt. Taking a warm wet cloth, she carefully wiped away the grime and saw more clearly a girl who looked even younger than before.

Alex stared at the girl's face as though it would reveal her story, examined expression of exhaustion that revealed itself in her features even while the girl was not conscious.

 _Where did you come from?_

The girl stirred, lips pursing as though to form a word before parting ever so slightly. Only a soft breath stirred the air and Alex suddenly realized that she didn't know what she would say, let alone do, when the girl woke up.

The girl was a kid, yes an alien, but a kid. And Alex was… well an agent. She didn't have the faintest idea what this girl would need.

But it seemed likely she was all this girl had at the moment. _When someone saves your life and then you save theirs, it makes you connected,_ Alex supposed.

She looked back at the girl and nearly jumped as she realized the blue eyes were open and watching her.

"Hey." Alex immediately knelt by her side. "How are you feeling?"

The girl slowly pulled herself to a sitting position, eyes darting around the room. One hand lifted the edge of her blood-soaked shirt and she looked at the place where the near-lethal wound had been before lifting her head again to look around again.

"It's okay," Alex said soothingly. "You're safe."

The girl stared at her, expression slightly frightened as she seemed to grow more and more aware of where she was and what had happened.

"Let me get you food. And water. You must be starving." Alex nearly winced at how dumb her words sounded. Of course the girl was starving; she had been living on the streets for who knew how long.

When she came back to the living room, carrying some leftovers from the fridge, she found the girl weakly trying to stand.

"Careful." She put the food down. "You lost a lot of blood."

The girl didn't react to her words, her blue eyes glued on the food.

"Go ahead," Alex pushed it closer.

The girl reached for whatever was nearest, pushing it into her mouth almost desperately.

"Slow down, you don't want to make yourself sick." Alex was glad she had started with a small portion size to begin with. She had seen agents recovered from enemy lines try to reintroduce food too quickly after periods of starvation and throw up everything. It only made their bodies weaker and this girl didn't have energy to spare.

The girl was already almost done with the food, but at Alex's words she slowed incrementally. She reached for the water and downed it, her eyes peering out at Alex over the top of the glass.

"What's your name, kiddo?"

The words slipped out of her mouth seemingly from nowhere and the girl froze.

Alex hastened to introduce herself first, "I'm Alex, Alex Danvers. I'm really glad you're here."

The girl carefully put down the cup.

"Do…" Alex paused, tilting her head slightly. "Do you understand me?"

It had crossed her mind that the girl might not even know English; after all she clearly wasn't from this planet.

Almost imperceptibly, the girl nodded.

"Can… can you tell me your name?" Alex ventured to ask, relieved the girl could at least understand her.

The girl paused, then shook her head. Her blue eyes met Alex's gaze and she could almost feel the fear and sorrow in that look.

"That's okay," Alex said softly. A thought struck her. "Do you _want_ to tell me your name?"

This time the girl nodded and Alex realized that when she had asked if the girl could share her name, she had shook her head no because she _literally_ couldn't. She hadn't ever heard the girl make a sound – maybe she wasn't able to.

"Okay." She took in that new information, not totally certain what to do.

The girl made a shy motion in the air. After replaying it in her mind a couple times, Alex understood. She grabbed a piece of paper and pen and offered it to the girl.

With great concentration, the girl pulled the writing utensil across the paper in four slow letters.

KARA.

* * *

 _Kara_.

Alex drummed her fingers against the arm of the chair she was sitting in. Faintly she could hear the water running in the bathroom where Kara was taking a shower.

She had shown the girl how to work the water, pointed out all the soap and shampoo and conditioner but Kara had refused to go in until Alex had demonstrated how the door could be locked from the inside.

Still, the girl was done remarkably fast, emerging in Alex's hoodie and the running shorts Alex had safety-pinned tighter for her, looking amazingly cleaner. Her hair was still a tangled mess and Alex hurried to find a comb.

Kara was clearly exhausted from even the small amount of exertion it took for her to run the brush through impossible tangles and Alex bit her lip before speaking up.

"Can I… Can I help you brush your hair?"

Kara looked at her for a moment before surprising Alex and nodding slightly.

Alex sat beside the girl on the couch, starting at the tips of the matted blonde hair and tediously moving her way upward, inch-by-inch.

"You are very brave," Alex said quietly. "You saved my life yesterday."

Kara shifted ever so slightly.

Alex changed the topic. "It must be hard to find food on the streets. No wonder you wanted my croissants. When I'm done with your hair, I'll fix up another meal," Alex hummed, working on a particularly bad snarl. "You shouldn't have to be hungry all the time. You deserve to be safe, Kara."

The girl froze and Alex almost did too but she forced herself to continue brushing through Kara's golden hair. As the tangles slowly were undone, Alex could see how long and beautiful the girl's hair was. Something about her was almost ethereal.

"Were you born on this earth?" Alex asked, changing the topic again.

The girl shook her head, hair pulling slightly out of the comb.

"Are you new here?"

Kara nodded.

"Did you come here with anyone else?"

The blond strands shook. _No._

Alex had been expecting that the girl was alone but the confirmation caused her to bite her lip.

 _She was alone. How had she gotten here, how had she survived…_

"How long have you been on earth?" Alex probed further before remembering that Kara didn't speak. "A week?" she suggested. The girl shook her head again and motioned upward with her hand. _More_.

"Two weeks?"

Kara shrugged then pointed upward before making a fist then a C shape with her hand, then an O then a backwards C then another fist before repeating the pattern.

"What?"

Kara made the motions again, pointing out the window at the sky.

It took a moment then Alex's heart clenched painfully in her chest. Kara was signing out the phases of the moon.

Many moons.

"I'm sorry." She finished brushing out the girl's hair, carefully smoothing the beautiful golden strands. The girl stood up, touching her hair and smiled shyly. She turned to look at Alex and the agent felt like she was seeing Kara for the first time.

The transformation was unbelievable. While Kara had entered looking like a street urchin, now her hair shone and Alex could even see the faintest sprinkle of freckles over the girl's delicate features. Her blue eyes were still huge in her wan face but now that her skin wasn't dirty, they didn't seem haunted.

"Kara," Alex hesitated but decided to continue. She needed to know if her intuition was right. "Are you from Krypton?"

The girl's eyes widened as she nodded vigorously.

 _How? How was this possible? Krypton was destroyed long ago!_ Alex ran a hand through her hair, needing to process that information for a moment. "Are you hungry? I'm going to make some more food."

When she returned, she nearly dropped everything all over the ground.

Kara was bent over a piece of paper, rapidly drawing Superman's symbol.

"Winn?" Alex cradled the phone to her ear as she lay on the couch. Kara had fallen asleep shortly after eating and Alex had gently moved the girl to her bed so she could sleep more comfortably. It was disturbing how light the girl was.

Alex didn't know what she was doing, taking care of this alien girl, but she was just going to take it one step at a time.

* * *

"Hey Alex. How's the leg?" Winn's cheerful voice filled the speaker.

"It's fine. Listen, I need a favor."

"You know I owe you like five," Winn's voice crackled slightly. "What's up?"

Alex told him what she needed.

He was silent for a couple moments. "Alex, what the hell…"

She cut him off, "You can't tell _anyone._ I'm cashing in all my favors, okay? I'm serious."

"Do I get to know…"

"No. Will you do it or not?"

"Are you serious right now?"

"Winn, I promise I would tell you if I could. And if I ever am able to, I will. But right now, I can't," Alex relented, letting her voice soften.

The line was quiet for a moment.

"Alright. I'll do it."

* * *

The call came around an hour later, the unknown number lighting up Alex's burner phone. She picked it up carefully, checking that Kara was still asleep, before hitting the receive button.

"Hello?" she said quietly.

"Why do you want to talk to me?" the man on the other end demanded.

Alex took a deep breath and explained.

"How do I know this isn't a trick? You're DEO." The man's voice was suspicious.

"DEO has no idea this is happening. I'm…" Alex paused for a moment, emotions and questions swirling.

 _Why_ was _she doing this?_

She had only asked herself that around a million times this week.

"She's a kid, okay? I just want to make sure she's safe. She doesn't deserve to be locked in a cage."

"And the others do?" His voice was deep, accusatory, and she felt it pierce her right to the bone.

Alex spoke the words on her chest.

"I just wanted to protect people and I thought I was. But now, I want to protect her."

Silence.

Then, "Why?"

She said what was easiest to explain, "She saved my life."

But she knew there was so much more. _I care_ , she wanted to cry out. _I care and I don't know why, but I do._

He paused on the other end of the phone then gave her a time and place. "We'll see if you're telling the truth."

* * *

Alex brought Kara to the park and sat her on the bench where they had first met.

The girl was still weak, her recovery from the blood loss slow. But she seemed a little less frightened and hadn't tried to run away. Alex could tell that she was ready to though, thin legs endlessly prepared to bolt.

Maybe it was because she gave her food or brushed her hair, or the fact that she was still recovering, but so far Kara hadn't run.

If she did, Alex didn't see how she could stop her. Kara had super strength and speed. If she wanted her to stay, she would just have to convince Kara that she truly was on her side.

And she was, strangely enough.

Alex said as much to Kara as they settled on the bench and Kara's blue eyes paused on her face before sweeping across the plants in front of her.

"There's someone you need to meet," Alex said slowly. "Someone else from Krypton."

Kara's eyes widened and Alex could see her lips form a silent word, a name.

"He's coming here, to meet you."

As if on cue, or maybe he had been listening, Superman dropped from the sky.

For a moment, the two Kryptonians just stared at each other.

Superman took a step forward and Kara shrank back against Alex, who could feel her form shaking.

"Prove that you are Kryptonian," Superman said quietly.

Kara was frozen, her gaze plastered on the symbol on the hero's chest. Alex put a protective hand on her shoulder. She was about to hotly inform the man that he couldn't just demand the girl prove who she was when he cut her off.

"You," Superman turned his gaze to Alex, anger burning on his face. "Is this some type of sick joke? Did you steal a child to lure me out?"

"She doesn't speak," Alex said quickly, stepping forward, her own anger burning at the man's actions and accusation. "You need to be gentle; you're scaring her."

Superman took a step towards her, jaw clenched, and Alex was reminded that this man could kill her in an instance.

Suddenly there was a small form between her and Superman, pushing the caped man away.

At the contact, Superman staggered back.

The Man of Steel had stumbled.

His blue eyes widened, mouth opening slightly as he stared at Kara, who stood protectively in front of Alex. Her eyes were burning blue, laser vision ready to erupt.

"Kara," Alex breathed. "Kara, it's okay."

The girl was too weak to be fighting; Alex could feel her small frame shaking violently.

"Oh my god…" Superman stared and for a moment Alex could see a flash of resemblance in those wide shocked eyes. "You were telling the truth. How… How is this possible?"

He had never believed her, Alex realized with a sinking heart. She didn't really blame him. She hardly believed herself at this point. But she _was_ livid about how his immaturity was affecting Kara.

"Maybe we can figure that out later and focus on what's important right now," Alex spoke gently, as not to frighten Kara further. "This is Kara." She gently placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "She is from the House of El."

To her surprise, Kara leaned into the touch.

Superman's face was pale; she could practically see the thoughts and questions whirling around his head. He took a careful step forward.

"I am Kal-El."

The name elicited a reaction from the small girl, her breath catching before her chest began heaving and head shaking.

 _No, no, no, no…_

Alex could almost hear the girl's silent protest.

And then she was gone.

The urge to run seemed to finally catch up and in an instance, the girl was racing away and out of sight before Alex could even react.

"Kara!" Alex started to run the direction the girl had disappeared, even though she knew there was no way she could catch up. She turned to face the one being on earth that possibly could. "What are you waiting for, we need to find her!" she exclaimed.

Superman didn't move, only shook his head sadly.

"There's an emergency in Metropolis; they're calling me."

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Alex nearly screamed. "Can't you see she needs your help?! She's your family!"

"Did you not just see the part of this interaction where she looked at me and ran away?" Superman ran a hand through his hair. His shoulders were slumped in defeat. Alex had never seen the Man of Steel look more human. "Even if I found her, I… I wouldn't know what to do! I have no idea! I can't take care of a kid!"

Alex slapped him, even though it hurt her hand and didn't hurt him at all. Still, he looked reasonably shocked.

"This. Is. Not. About. You." Alex ground out. "Do you have any idea what that girl has gone through? Because neither do I, but from what I can figure out, it isn't pretty."

"Then why are you trying to get rid of her?" Superman shot back.

Alex's mouth fell open.

"What are we, high-schoolers, fighting over who is going to take care of the flour baby?" Her voice rose with incredulity. "I am trying to do what's best for Kara, who is a living, breathing, hurting girl. Nobody can understand her better than you can; you're the same species. For god's sake, you're family! You can help her, keep her safe. Think about someone other than yourself for once!"

He flinched at her words, chiseled face lined with a collage of emotions she didn't care to untangle. "Thinking about others is all I do. People are dying in Metropolis, right now," he said quietly, his form beginning to hover above the ground. "They are calling for me. I'll come back as soon as I can but I can't put one life above many."

She cursed him and he didn't fight it.

"Can't you see; this is why I can't help her!" His voice was tinged with agony. "This is no life for her. I'm sorry. I really am. You have to take care of her, Alex. She trusts you; I can see it in how she defended you. If I have learned anything from my own story, it's that the safest place on Earth for a Kryptonian is not with other Kryptonians. It's with humans. But I'll try to help however I can."

She watched him slowly rise, understanding his words yet also understanding that he was abandoning someone who desperately needed him. There was no easy answer so she let her anger push words from her throat.

"Go to hell."

"I'm there every day," he told her quietly before disappearing across the sky.

* * *

Kara had always been afraid of the dark when she was little.

Now she found comfort in it, sought out corners and alcoves where the darkness could wrap around her form and hide her from searching eyes.

The space under Alex's bed was perfect; it was higher than an ordinary bed and she fit under it like it had been made for her. She moved some of the boxes around so that she couldn't be seen from the door and settled in.

Lying on her back, running one hand over the underside of the bed, she finally let herself cry.

Her body shook so hard that she could almost hear the floor shudder.

Kal-El.

 _Kal-El._

 _Kal-El was grown up._

When she had emerged from her pod and seen no sign of him, she had assumed the worst. If she could barely survive in this world, how would a baby have any chance?

But obviously he somehow had made it, more than made it - he was an adult.

 _How was it possible?_

She didn't understand what was happening and rapidly gave up trying to.

The only thing that mattered was that she was alone and always would be. Kal-El was clearly some sort of hero on this planet, a hero with _her_ family's crest on his chest, a crest that represented all that he would never understand.

She had listened from far away to his conversation with Alex. She had heard him fly away and felt relieved because even if Kal-El was genetically her family, she did not know that man.

He was a stranger.

Even Alex knew her better than that Kryptonian did.

 _Alex._

She searched through the layers of sound to locate the woman's voice. Alex was still out in the city, calling for her.

But Kara had gone to the one place she wouldn't look; her own home.

Her tears slowed as she listened through the chaos to Alex's voice calling out to her.

When her feet had gained control of her body, she had made a beeline for the one place she could be sure she would find Alex again.

That meant…

That meant she had run _toward_ someone.

For the first time, she had a place to go.

If Alex wanted her.

Kara's lungs squeezed, her all her breath pushed out into the air.

She couldn't keep running. Her legs were ready, always ready, but her heart – it was worn thin. She imagined it in her chest, held together by threads that threatened to break at any moment. She couldn't… she couldn't keep going. She had no words to explain her exhaustion.

But why would Alex want her? Hadn't she tried to get Kal-El to taker her?

Curling in on herself, Kara bit her lip, trying to fight back the tears that once again prickled the back of her eyelids.

She wanted her parents.

She thought about them a lot. At first she had been angry that they had sent her to this horrible place. She just wanted to be with them, and had wanted to know why couldn't she be with them, even if it was in Rao's light. But now, she just missed them. She couldn't be mad at them. They loved her and she loved them.

They would like Alex too, Kara decided. Her mom had always said she was an excellent judge of character and that if Kara trusted someone, she would too. Well, Kara trusted Alex. She didn't know exactly why, but she did.

But it didn't matter what Kara thought of Alex if Alex didn't want her.

The tears were about to return when Kara heard the door of the apartment open. Alex's footsteps were slow, tired.

She didn't want to move but she did want to tell Alex where she was.

 _I'm here. I'm right here._

The words stuck infuriatingly in her throat and she turned instead to the box she had slid in front of her to complete her hiding place. Put her hands on it, she easily moved it back, the action birthing a slight scraping noise.

In the other room the footsteps paused before speeding up, striding toward her.

Soon Alex's black boots appeared in her range of vision under the bed.

"Kara?"

 _I'm here._

 _I'm here._

 _I don't know why, but I am._

* * *

Alex searched the streets of National City until her injured leg threatened to give out, dragged herself through the bowels of the city calling out the name of a girl who had been lost before ever being found.

She knew that Kara could hear her if she wanted to.

But why would she want to?

Alex didn't understand what had happened when the girl had heard Superman's name, but in that moment she had seen her wide blue eyes go dark then blank as another light was extinguished.

 _I'm so sorry._

She had hoped that the caped hero would do what she had thought he could; save the day and fix what was broken. But she was discovering that superheroes were not as adept at solving problems as the comics portrayed. Sometimes they made things plain worse.

 _She_ had made things worse.

Alex could still feel the traces of fury that circulated her bloodstream combined with the incredulous disbelief; how could he, how could he, _how could he?_

Yet she didn't wish herself in his shoes, or to carry the agony visible on his face when forced to choose between the lives of one and many. Superman was an excellent hero in that sense; he worked for the greater good.

But what was the greater good worth if it meant a child roamed the streets alone?

Alexandrea Danvers was no superhero – she wasn't pressed by the weight of millions of lives on her shoulders. Before she had none of that weight. Now she had just one life depending on her- the one life that had been tossed aside and forgotten and overlooked.

Sitting on an overturned grocery crate, Alex swore that she would do everything she could for Kara. She didn't know what it would mean, to take care of a small Kryptonian, but she would do her very best to learn.

If Kara would have her.

Heart heavy, calling the girl's name half-heartedly, Alex made her way back to her apartment to recoup before heading out again. Trying not to allow the fear that was radiating from her chest to infiltrate her whole body, she hauled herself up the stairs and prepared to call in a favor she didn't have with Winn.

She had to find Kara. She _had_ to.

Opening the door to her apartment, Alex was temporarily distracted from the blond alien as she stared at one of the windows which was slightly ajar.

She never left her windows open. In this part of town, it was just asking for trouble and the smell of cigarette smoke to invade her space.

Alex's hand went to the gun at her hip as she slowly surveyed the room. A muffled sound caught her attention in the bedroom and she pulled her gun out fully before creeping toward it.

 _Could it be…_

She stepped carefully into the room, finding it empty.

"Kara?"

 _Kara._

Another soft noise alerted her that appearances were deceiving and there was in fact another being present. Slowly, Alex knelt on the ground and peered under the bed.

A small tear-streaked face met her, barely visible from the shadows.

Alex nearly fainted with relief, the feeling surprisingly overwhelming. She allowed one little girl into her life just a couple days ago and she felt like she had nearly died several times from worry.

Alex bit her lip, wanting nothing more than to gather the girl in her arms and rock away her pain.

But she knew nothing would heal the raw wounds so quickly.

"I was so scared... I am so sorry, I am so so sorry about Superman, I…" Alex couldn't stop the words that tumbled from her lips. "I thought he could help you but I was wrong and I am so sorry for that. I wanted to make things better but I made them worse." She paused, trying to word the thoughts that pressed on her heart. "I only wanted to help you, please believe me when I say that. Because I care, Kara, I really do. I care about you."

Kara stared at her then suddenly burst into silent tears, the sobs shaking her tiny frame with such violence that Alex almost worried she would be torn to pieces.

"Kara…" Alex couldn't just sit and watch the girl cry her heart out. "Can I give you a hug?"

With a force that she couldn't have anticipated, Alex suddenly found the girl in her arms.

" _I'm so sorry_ ," she murmured into blond hair. " _I am so so sorry_."

When Kara looked up at her, noiseless tears sliding down her face, Alex knew exactly what she was asking.

"I'm not going to leave you. If you'll let me, I want to be here for you. No matter what."

* * *

 _ **The story continues! What do you think?**_

 ** _Let me know! Next chapter isn't written yet, so anything could happen!_**

 ** _The idea I'm playing with is to next have the DEO get involved and showcase what this AU's DEO looks like and why._**

 ** _QUESTION: if someone were to be captured by the DEO, would you like it to be Alex, Kara, or both? (adding this question in late so hope those who have an opinion see it!)_**

 ** _Until then..._**

 ** _~silverlining_**


	4. Draw Me Closer

_**Finally another chapter for you all!**_

 _ **I don't think this chapter is my best work but it's the best it's going to be (I wrote and rewrote several of the scenes and other scenes I didn't include). Several of you wanted more bonding between Kara and Alex so I tried to include that before everything goes south.**_

 ** _I'll stop knocking my own work and just let you read it! The next chapter should be posted within a week or two, I'll try to have it up a lot faster than this last one._**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl_**

* * *

When Alex blearily blinked away the threads of sleep that wrapped around her mind, the first thing she became aware of was a soft scratching noise coming from the kitchen.

She rolled off the couch and onto her feet, slowly moving toward the source of the sound. It was still dark and Alex wasn't sure how long she had been asleep. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her it was barely 2am.

Rounding the corner, she found Kara sitting at the table bent over scattered pieces of paper, a pencil in her hand, a lamp dousing her in a pool of light.

Relaxing, Alex reached for her sweatshirt and pulled it on over her black tank top before turning back to Kara, who was still immersed in her work.

"Hey," Alex said softly, not wanting to scare the girl.

Kara spun around, suddenly wielding the pencil as if it were a weapon, blue eyes wild.

Alex held up her hands, well aware that the Kryptonian could easily kill her with the writing utensil. "It's just me."

Chest heaving, Kara lowered the pencil, ducking her head slightly.

"Sorry I snuck up on you." Alex gave her a small smile. "What are you working on?" she took a step closer and peered at the papers spread across the table.

What she saw struck her to her core.

Formed by graphite strokes, a small girl ran across the different pages as darkness and monsters and reaching hands chased her. A couple other pages detailed fiery inferno, one featuring a man bleeding on the ground…

"Kara…" Alex breathed. "Kara, are these… Are these drawings of things you've seen?" She couldn't seem to tear her gaze away from the haunted drawings, some element of the surprisingly good illustration combined with raw emotion holding her captive.

Kara wouldn't look at her, just pulled out one sketch and laid it on top of the mess.

On it, three figures smiled, two adults and a girl between them.

 _Kara_.

It was a drawing that radiated wistfulness. Kara's fingertips hovered over the faces in the drawings, her eyes glued to the figures.

 _Before,_ Alex could almost hear the word spoken in that drawing. _This is what it was before._

Slowly Alex lowered herself into a chair at the table, tilting her head slightly as she examined Kara. "Are… are those your parents?" she touched the paper lightly.

She was met with a small nod.

"Are they here?" Alex had to ask, biting her lip softly as she already anticipated the answer.

Kara shook her head, pulling out another drawing and placing it in front of her. This one depicted a planet on fire.

"Krypton," Alex breathed, picking up the paper carefully, trying to wrap her mind around how Kara could have possibly witnessed Krypton's explosion when she couldn't have even been born when it happened. "Kara…" she hesitated, sorting through a web of thoughts. "When did this happen?"

Kara's looked up at her, blue eyes searching Alex's face as though unsure of what she would find. Her expression was one of uncertainty and Alex could tell the girl wasn't sure what the answer was.

Running through multiple scenarios, Alex finally asked, "For _you_ , did Krypton explode recently?"

Now Kara nodded, rifling through the papers and offering another one to Alex. On it was a drawing of a baby with Superman's crest on its shirt. Underneath, Kara had carefully printed 'KAL EL'.

Suddenly Kara's reaction in the park began to make sense. Alex ran a hand through her hair and put the paper down. Kara was still watching her.

"He was a baby when you left Krypton but when you got here, he was grown up," Alex interpreted.

Kara's crystal blue eyes filled with tears as she once again nodded.

 _Oh Kara._

Alex couldn't imagine how incredibly confusing and painful that would be. Somehow, Kara had only just arrived in the present time; how that had happened, Alex had no idea.

"Seeing him must have been so confusing," Alex slowly put her hand on Kara's. To her surprise, Kara didn't pull away. "I'm really sorry."

A tear ran down the girl's cheek and very slowly the Kryptonian turned her hand so that she was holding Alex's.

For a while, they just sat there, each in their own world, yet holding onto the other.

* * *

The warning came only a couple hours later, Alex's burner phone screaming through the peaceful silence of the dark.

"Winn?" Alex glanced at the screen and scrambled for the call button, untangling herself from the sheets she had put on the couch.

"Alex." Winn's voice was strained. "I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry."

"What?" Alex shook her head, already moving to the safe that she kept her gun in. "Winn, what's going on?" Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Kara had woken up as well and was standing in the doorway of the bedroom where she had been sleeping.

"They're coming for you." His panicked words crackled over the phone. "They know. They're bringing Kryptonite."

Alex felt icy fear flood her veins. "How the hell did…"

"They've been secretly surveilling Superman. They just went through the latest footage and saw you and the girl. I had no idea they were spying on him, I only just found out… God, Alex, I didn't know… If I did, I never would have connected you two…"

Alex cursed and grabbed a few more weapons.

"Are you helping them?" her voice was low, dangerous.

"No!" She could hear the incredulity in Winn's tone. "Alex, I would never… I only joined this organization because of you! You know I wouldn't…"

"I know."

She meant it. The day Winn betrayed her would be the day she lost faith in all humanity. And he was awful at lying; she could hear the truth in his voice.

"What's their eta?" She closed the safe.

"You probably have around twenty minutes. I called as soon as I could."

"Thank you."

She hung up and wiped the phone before tossing it in the garbage disposal, ignoring the shriek of metal on metal. They could take her but they would never connect Winn to her.

"Kara."

The girl was trembling slightly, the oversized t-shirt and shorts she had been sleeping in only making her appear smaller.

"Hey." Alex knelt before the girl, brushing a strand of golden hair behind her ear to look into those wide eyes.

Painfully, she wondered if she would ever get the chance to see what those blue orbs looked like without fear reflected in them.

"Everything is going to be alright but we have to go. I'm going to pack up as much as I can."

Kara nodded silently, her eyes flickering toward the window.

In a few minutes, they were ready.

"If anything happens," Alex knelt in front of the girl. "Run and don't worry about me. Go to the park and I'll find you there as soon as I can."

Kara stared at her and finally shook her head slightly. Her small hand reached out in the darkness to take Alex's. _I won't leave you._

Alex gently cupped her face, examining Kara's determined expression.

For all she knew, Kara could run away the moment they left the apartment. Alex was still struggling with the question of _why_ Kara was still with her. Not that she didn't want her to be; for inexplicable reasons she knew her life had changed forever when she had found the girl bleeding out in her alley.

But since that moment, she hadn't had the chance to stop and actually figure out what they were going to do. Sure she had thought about it, the question was ever present, but she still didn't know what she was _actually_ going to _do_. It wasn't like she had a contingency plan laying around for finding a mute Kryptonian child.

Still, a couple facts solidified themselves. The first was that Alex, for whatever crazy reason, cared about Kara and letting her be hurt or out in the world on her own was not an option. The second fact was that Alex did not know what the DEO would do if they found the Kryptonian and she was not eager to find out.

And third, but most importantly, there was the fact that Kara, regardless of her species, regardless of where she had come from and why, was a _child_ – a child who had gone through far more than she ever should have, who had lost more than Alex had ever thought possible.

So looking at Kara's hand in hers and knowing that neither of them planned to let go, part of Alex was surprised and the other part wasn't. Her life had unraveled in an incredibly short amount of time – she was suddenly taking care of a small girl, running from her own agency, and, most frightening, finding herself emotionally attached to an alien child.

Yet she regretted nothing.

With regard to what they would actually do, Alex decided she would continue with what she had been doing the whole time; figure it out as she went, while keeping Kara safe.

There really was no other option.

"Let's go," Alex squeezed Kara's hand gently, turning her thoughts back to the present urgent situation.

The girl followed without question, letting Alex help her over the windowsill and onto the fire escape that snaked down the side of the building. The soft hollow clang of their steps on the metal was the only sound that broke the quiet murmurs of the still sleeping city.

Reaching the bottom, Alex quickly pulled out her motorcycle from the apartment storage space and loaded their stuff into the side bags. She then placed Kara onto the seat in front of her and carefully put her earmuffs on the girl's head, pausing first to explain that they would help make the noise less loud.

Kara just watched her, the trust in her crystal eyes making Alex feel a mixture of relief and terror.

 _Please let this be the right thing._

Then Alex started the motorcycle and they sped off into the dawn.

* * *

Kara silently clung to Alex's hand as they stood in front of a small metal box.

Alex had steered them out of the city and onto a road that stretched out far into the horizon. They just made it out of the city before pulling off the big road to stop at a small human building.

In her wandering of Earth, Kara had seen many of these types of buildings, places where humans pulled up to little stations and inserted tubes into their metal vehicles. She even had gotten into the habit of going through their garbage, hoping to find old stale food.

Being with Alex was totally different; they walked straight up to the building.

An older male human walked by them, casting a glance at her and Alex, making Kara tighten her grip on Alex's hand and move closer to her.

With her spare hand, Alex was rapidly pushing buttons before she picked up the strange black object on a metal cord and held it to her ear.

 _"Hello?"_ An older woman's voice filled the object; it was a phone, Kara realized.

"Mom." Kara could hear the relief in Alex's voice. "Thank god, you're okay. There's no time to explain but you need to leave town and lay low. Go to Uncle Joe's, it's less likely they'll target you if you're with other people…"

 _"Alex, don't listen to them, okay? Whatever you do…"_ the woman's voice was urgent and Kara could feel Alex stiffen.

"Mom?!"

 _"Hello Agent Danvers."_ Kara shivered at the menacing voice of a man that suddenly replaced the woman's.

"Henshaw."

Alex was shaking slightly against her, Kara realized, fear flooding her body. Something bad was happening. Something really bad.

 _"You know what you need to do if you want to see your mom again."_

That man on the phone had taken Alex's mom, Kara realized.

And it was Kara's fault.

"You can't do that. This is illegal! She has nothing to do with any of this!"

 _"She's potentially aiding a fugitive alien terrorist. I can do whatever I want."_ A pause. _"Like I said, you know what to do."_

Alex slammed the phone down on the metal box, hard, the harsh noise causing Kara to jump.

 _I'm sorry,_ Kara wanted to say the words, felt their immense weight on her tongue and heart.

Alex was murmuring things that Kara didn't understand, running her hand through her hair. Yet her other hand did not leave Kara's.

 _I can make this right._

They were after her. Alex just had to let them have her.

Ever since Kara had arrived on this planet, she had been running. There were many reasons for her to do so and no reasons to stop. The earth was safer when it was a blur under her feet and she was just a streak of motion between places she could never arrive at.

But stopping to let Alex take care of her… Kara couldn't be more grateful. For a little bit, she felt saved and loved. And it meant the world to her.

She wished she could say her thoughts, wished she could take a deep breath and let her emotions flow from her mouth packaged in words.

"Kara," Alex grabbed her attention, the woman kneeling in front of her so that she could stare right into her kind dark eyes. "I have to go help my mom but first I'm going to get you somewhere safe."

 _No._ Kara shook her head vigorously. _I'm not safe unless I'm with you._

"You'll be okay, _I promise,_ " Alex cupped her face gently, soft eyes fixed on her.

 _No, no, no…_

She couldn't be alone again. _She couldn't_.

"I will be alright, they won't hurt me. They know me. But if they find you, I might not be able to protect you." Alex brushed a strand of hair out of Kara's face and she felt comfort at the motion. "If anything happens, if I can't get you to the hiding place before they find us, I need you to _run._ Our backup meeting place will be the park in the city, okay?" Alex straightened, not waiting for a response as she moved to the motorcycle to pull out a backpack. "There's food and money in here."

Kara held up her hands. She didn't want the backpack. She didn't want food or money. She wanted to stay with Alex.

"I would take you to Superman, but they're watching him too." Alex knelt by her again again. "Kara, look at me."

Kara stared studiously at her feet.

"Kara."

She let Alex gently tilted her head up to meet her gaze.

"You're going to be okay."

 _But what about you?_

Then Kara heard it – the hum of an air vehicle in the distance. She tugged on Alex's arm and pointed to her ears then the sky.

"Are they coming?"

She nodded.

Alex's face was set in a look of determination mixed with acceptance. All of a sudden Kara found herself wearing the backpack and quickly being lead toward the forest beyond road.

" _I will find you_ ," Alex promised her, dark eyes serious.

Kara tried to take off the backpack but Alex stopped her.

"Kara, they have a special type of weapon that will be able to hurt you. It's not safe. Do _not_ let them get close to you with anything that's green."

Kara stared at her. She didn't want to get hurt but she didn't want to leave Alex.

"Kara _please._ " Alex gripped her arms, desperation clear on her face. "You need to go. You need to be safe."

Kara just looked at her, tears trembling in her eyes.

 _I don't want to leave you._

The roar of air vehicles grew, so close that even Alex could see them. The woman raised her face to the sky before lowering it to look at the dark vehicles speeding towards them. She turned back to Kara.

"Kara, you need to go!"

Kara wrapped her arms around Alex, buried her face in the woman's shirt.

Then she let her feet take control and she was running once again.

* * *

Alex watched Kara disappear into the forest, her chest aching with fear. She didn't know if she had done the right thing but her options were scarce at best.

The woman stared out into the forest even as the roar of a helicopter and screeching of tires alerted her that she was no longer the only agent in the area.

"Put your hands in the air!" the harsh shout came from behind her.

Sighing slightly, Alex raised her hands up into the air and turned.

She didn't want to fight; these were her colleagues. She had exchanged holiday gifts with them, swapped jokes at work parties, met their spouses…

Her fellow agents held their guns steady but her gaze uncertainly.

She wasn't offended; they were under orders. She would probably do the same.

"Where is it?!" Henshaw advanced, eyes glowing with fury. "Where is the alien?!"

"I don't know." Alex let one of her agents pull her hands behind her back and restrain them, staring evening at her boss. "Where is my mom?"

Henshaw clenched his jaw so tightly she could hear his teeth creak at the pressure. In an instance he had slammed her up against the brick wall of the gas station. "Tell me where the alien is."

"I don't know." She could feel a small trickle of blood run down the back of her neck. Behind Henshaw, Alex saw her team shifting uncomfortably.

"The creature likes you, let's see if it will come to your rescue." Henshaw's face was glowing with an unsettling light and suddenly Alex really realized what type of man she had been working for.

When she joined the DEO, it was because it was one of the only places she could put her alien expertise to work. She had thought she was protecting humanity and in many cases she had; there were aliens who held nothing but hatred for the earth and its inhabitants, beings who wrecked havoc and took innocent lives.

But in her pursuit of those creatures, how many innocent _alien_ lives had she overlooked? She assumed they were out there but their work didn't affect them; the DEO only intervened with alien _problems_.

Or so it said.

Case after case ran through her mind and she suddenly realized that Henshaw had slowly been guiding the department into a more intrusive and offensive stance over the past couple years, so subtly that she had failed to even notice.

Why had they begun monitoring aliens who had proved themselves to be good? When had they started detaining aliens and registering them? When did they begin judging which alien species were too dangerous to be allowed to live freely in society? At what point had they approved violent interrogation methods for criminal aliens?

A slow pattern appeared before her, wrapping disturbingly through the past couple years.

What scared her most was that she had really believed she was doing what was right. Every decision, every subtle change had been saturated in statistics and a portrayal of human victimization so poignant that she had felt there was no choice _but_ to do the things they did.

And here they were, hunting down a _child_.

Alex didn't know what would happen if they took Kara, but she knew it would not be good.

A searing pain tore her out of her thoughts as Henshaw grabbed her cuffed hands behind her back and pulled them up sharply.

Alex bit her lip so hard it bled, refusing to make any noise. One of her agents started to move forward, distress in their eyes but she shook her head at them. As team leader, her job was still to protect her agents; it would do them no good to get involved.

She had never imagined needing to protect those she loved against her own organization.

But here she was.

"I need a sound, Agent Danvers. I know the little one is listening. Aren't you?" Her boss's face loomed close, addressing the air. "If you don't come now, I will kill her," he informed the empty space around them.

"You're… you're crazy," Alex spat out, blood dripping from her lips. The man only yanked her arms up further and Alex couldn't stop the cry that was forced from her lips as one of her shoulders was wrenched out of position.

And then Kara was there; small, silent, her blonde hair windblown as she appeared between Alex and Henshaw, throwing the man back.

Terror flooded Alex's body.

"Kara, no!"

"Fire!" Henshaw roared from where he had skidded to the ground.

A soft hum whizzed past Alex's ear and then Kara crumpled before her, her veins tinted green, the source a wicked looking dart.

"No!" Alex lunged forward, desperation sending her senses afire but she was quickly slammed back by Henshaw. He stared at her, dark eyes searching her face.

"Why do you care?" His brow creased with the question. "You were one of my best agents."

She didn't answer him, just futilely fought against him despite the fact that her hands were restrained behind her back.

He backhanded her across the face and repeated his question.

She ignored him once again.

There were no answers she could give that he would ever understand.

* * *

 ** _Soooo that happened..._**

 ** _Let me know what you think! Again, not my best chapter but I hope it was sufficient._**

 ** _Until the next one,_**

 ** _~silverlining_**


	5. The Story I Will Tell

_**Okay! I'm actually a lot happier with this chapter than the last one, so I hope you enjoy it!**_

 ** _There is definitely Alex whump and some... uh... violent language (lol Alex got angry)._**

 _ **To my beautiful readers and reviewers, followers and favoriters, THANK YOU. You are my inspiration and I love to write for not just myself, but for you all.**_

* * *

The DEO had never looked more different, even though absolutely nothing had changed except Alex's position in the organization.

Before, she put beings into containment units.

Now she was the one in the holding cell.

Alex paced back and forth incessantly, her thoughts consumed by Kara and her own role in the girl's capture.

She didn't keep Kara safe; Henshaw had used _her_ to get to Kara.

And even her best efforts didn't make up for the fact that _she_ had helped bring the DEO to where it was.

From her new perspective, Alex could imagine herself walking down the hall in front of her cell, carrying her gun and not paying attention to the aliens in the cells waiting to be processed. She had never paused and pondered their fate – she had simply trusted what she was told; that they deserved to be here.

Now that she was in the position of those they had systematically captured and caged, it was too late to realize that her own actions had unknowingly gone against everything she believed in.

 _It was too late._

They had taken Kara away.

Alex slammed her fist against the wall, letting her forehead rest against the smooth surface. Even the sharp ache from her dislocated shoulder couldn't come close to the pain she felt over Kara's capture.

 _I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry._

A solitary tear mapped its path down her cheek.

 _"Being sorry is a good start."_

The thought pushed into her mind from out of nowhere, foreign and not her own, causing her to start and search the space around her.

 _"You can't see me. I'm in the cell next to yours."_

Alex struggled to decipher whether the voice was a thought or spoken aloud, grimacing at the strange feeling of buzzing in her head.

 _"I'm sorry about that, it takes humans a little bit to get used to telepathic communication."_

"Who are you?" Alex addressed the air.

 _"Quiet!"_ the voice in her mind instantly scolded her. _"They don't know I can do this! If you want to communicate with me, you just have to think."_

 _"Who the hell are you?"_ She sat down slowly on the metal cot in the corner. _"What do you want?"_

 _"You know who I am, Alexandra Danvers."_

A sudden image was pulled to the forefront of her mind: a tall green alien with burning red eyes staring at her from inside a holding cell as she made her way through the DEO basement.

The Green Martian.

He had just been brought in for terrorism a couple days before Alex found Kara. They knew little about his species as he was the only one left of his kind. In fact, Alex had been trying to figure out what his powers were when the insect-alien attacked downtown and Kara had saved her. They hadn't been able to move him out of holding yet, they first had to understand the being's abilities before deciding what to do with him.

The notes on his capture flitted through her conscious, the underlined words that said _very dangerous._

 _"I am innocent, Alexandra."_ His voice filled her mind and she could feel his exhaustion and sorrow.

 _"You hurt people."_

 _"You know better than that. What happened to your realization yesterday about the DEO and its true intent when it comes to aliens? You yourself admitted that innocent alien lives might have been overlooked."_

 _"You've been reading my mind."_

 _"There's not much new material to read around here. But let me introduce myself; I am J'onn J'onnz. I came to earth as a war refugee from Mars and lived in hiding for many years before being imprisoned by this organization."_

An scene filled her mind, Green Martians all around her screaming as they were decimated, loved ones dying in front of her while she was helpless to do anything to save them, the pressing weight of despair and drowning sorrow descending upon her…

She gasped for air as the replay suddenly stopped.

 _"I apologize, I only wanted to show you my planet but it is hard for me to temper the memories, even after all these years."_

 _"I am sorry."_

She truly was.

 _"I know."_

They were both quiet for a moment.

 _"With telepathic abilities, couldn't you have found a way to escape? You must know everything about every guard here. And if you hid this ability from us, what else can you do?"_

His presence in her mind was mournful. _"There is no place for me to escape to, Alexandra. This galaxy holds nothing for me anymore; the ones I have lost will never be replaced. I find little purpose from hiding in the shadows of this planet. Perhaps this is the universe's punishment for my surviving when they did not."_

His hopelessness permeated her senses, the emotion of purposelessness consuming her and setting her adrift at a sea of despair. It took her several moments to realize the feelings were not her own but rather belonged to the alien on the other side of the wall.

 _"Why are you speaking to me then?"_

J'onn was silent for several minutes, so long that she thought he was no longer interested in talking with her. But then his voice whispered in her mind, _"The little one you care about reminds me of one I lost."_

A sudden image of a small girl with large beautiful red eyes and a green face flashed through Alex's mind.

She did indeed remind Alex of Kara.

 _"I'm getting her out of here,"_ Alex informed J'onn. _"If you help me, I will try to get you out too."_

At this point she was desperate enough to fulfill that promise.

 _"I do not care about my own fate but I will help you for the sake of the little Kryptonian."_

Alex felt a flare of determination and hope.

 _"What else can you do that the DEO doesn't know about?"_ she asked.

He didn't tell her; instead she was pricked with alarm and an image of agents striding down the hall. _"They are coming for you, Alexandra."_

Concern filled her, a mixture of her own and the Martian's.

 _"What do they want?"_

 _"Information about the Kryptonian. They are angry; she would not speak to them."_ J'onn's voice was quick and slightly distracted, as though he were listening to several different conversations at once.

Anger flared. _"She isn't able to talk."_ Desperately, her mind pushed her fears to the forefront with a question. _"Did they hurt her? Can you read anything from Henshaw's mind about her?"_

There was a pause.

 _"According to their thoughts, she is no longer here."_

* * *

Pure panic flooded Alex as J'onn's words echoed in her mind.

 _No no no no…_

 _"Oh my god. They didn't… They didn't…"_ Alex's thoughts were drowned in a tidal wave of desperation and despair.

 _"No! She's not dead, to the extent of their knowledge,"_ J'onn's voice was rushed. _"But she is not_ here _at this building. They moved her; she is somewhere else."_

 _"Where?"_ Alex demanded.

Henshaw, flanked by several agents, was striding into her view and she watched him approach while a feeling of hatred built up in her to a level she had never thought possible.

 _"I do not know… I see the man they transferred her to…"_ There was a pause. _"General Lane, is his name, I believe."_

Alex almost threw up as fear radiated through her body.

General Lane.

She didn't have any further time to process J'onn's announcement before Henshaw was standing in front of her cell.

Alex stared numbly at the man in front of her, the containment unit door sliding open and an agent moving quickly to restrain her. She could barely even feel the pressure it put on her dislocated shoulder; her every sensation was flat in comparison to the liquid loathing that coursed her blood.

She would kill Director Henshaw the first chance she got.

Failing was not an option; she _had_ to get out and find Kara.

Before the unspeakable could happen.

 _"Good luck, Alexandra Danvers."_ J'onn's voice was soft, his words nestling between her flaming neurons. _"Depending on how far they take you, I might be able to reach you telepathically."_

 _"Then let's hope it's close. Because I'm going to need you."_

 _"I am at your service, Alexandra."_

 _"J'onn J'onnz, please call me Alex."_

She was pulled from the cell and marched down the hall.

 _"Then you must call me J'onn."_

They stopped in front of a door, Henshaw scanning his hand on a panel on the wall.

 _"It's a deal, J'onn."_

* * *

In the midst of a world shifting and blurring and a reality that clamped as tightly as the metal around her wrists and ankles, Kara practiced words.

She rolled them in her mind like clay between hands, shaped them and imagined them coming into being. There were so many she wanted to say, wished she could. As she formed them, she set them aside for those who were supposed to receive them.

 _I love you was for her parents._

A man in a white coat peered down at her, a mask over his face. As he leaned closer, she pulled away slightly, only to be stopped by the bands holding her to the table.

 _I miss you was for Krypton and everything familiar that she no longer had._

The man was joined by another figure in white and they rolled her into a machine, the space tight. It reminded her of her pod and she felt suddenly trapped.

 _I'm sorry was for the girl in the barn she had set aflame and man whose ribs she had broken._

The machine hummed around her and she closed her eyes. When they finally pulled her out, she was unsure whether to be relieved or afraid for what would happen next.

 _You are wrong was for the Saturnian who had said terrible things about her family and called her pathetic._

They were moving her to another room and she was just an object, just a thing to be studied as they pulled out their needs and drew crimson from the paleness of her skin.

 _Thank you was for Alex._

They arrived at a new room, although all she could see was the ceiling from the position she was trapped in. A slight burning sensation entered her arm and the world began to blur.

The last thing Kara thought before she lost consciousness was that she hoped someday she could breathe her words into sound so that they might be heard.

* * *

Alex pulled slightly at the restraints that held her wrists together and attached to the metal ring at the center of the table, ignoring the pain that radiated up her arm. Studiously she ignored the man who circled her slowly, staring only at the wall on the opposite side of the small interrogation room.

"Where did the Kryptonian come from?" Henshaw finally sat down at the table across from her.

Alex stared straight past him, gritting her teeth. "Where's my mother?"

"She's fine, left her at that cute little house and told her not to tell anyone what happened if she wanted to see her daughter again. We don't hurt humans." Henshaw leaned forward. "The same can't be said for aliens who threaten our safety. So I'll ask one more time; where did the Krytponian come from?"

Alex clenched her jaw.

 _Kara, I'm so sorry. I'm coming for you. I will find you._

"Answer me!" Henshaw's fist came down hard on the table. "Krypton exploded, what, twenty five years ago? That alien is like _ten_. What's happening here? Is there a Kryptonian colony here, waiting to take the earth for their own? Are they jsut luring the world into a false sense of security with their little token hero Superman as they prepare to annihilate humankind?" Henshaw's questions were snarled,

"Would you even believe me if I told you she only just arrived on earth, alone?" Alex glared at him.

A violent backhand threw her against her chair, simultaneously pulling her injured shoulder.

The other agents in the room shifted uncomfortably.

"I'll take that as a no." Alex spit blood onto the table, eyes burning with fury. "I want to see her."

Henshaw crossed his arms. "The alien is not here. General Lane has taken her."

J'onn had already told her, but Alex's vision was tinted red as the information was confirmed.

" _She's just a kid!_ " Alex lunged forward but was stopped by the restraints. Still, she fought them wildly, even as agents hurried to try to move her back to her seat. " _I will kill you!_ " Alex screamed. " _I will make you pay for every single thing they do to her!_ " Threats and curse-words poured from her mouth as the agents tried to pull her back.

Chest heaving, Alex finally allowed the agents to push her back into her chair, body trembling with unbridled anger. "Is this what the DEO does now? Lets children be experimented on? How the hell did we come to this?" She shot a look at the other agents in the room, recognizing a few. "Are you really going to support this?" They shrank back slightly, gaze darting away from hers.

"Enough!" Henshaw banged his fist the table. "She's just trying to rile you up; everything we do is for the security of our nation. That creature is not a child." Henshaw glanced around the room at the other agents. "Leave."

"But sir…" Alex's second in command stepped forward, uncertainty clear on his face.

"Now."

Despite the position Alex was in, the agent caught her eye, waiting for her permission. Alex nodded at him, knowing that in the end, it would only make things worse for all of them if her agents disobeyed Henshaw. Her team hurried out the door, leaving Alex alone with the man who had been her boss only days ago.

Henshaw stared at her, waiting until the door closed with a solid thud before speaking.

"You know what this button does." The Director looked at her while pushing a small button on the side of the table.

Alex just clenched her jaw.

"It turns off _all_ the video feed of this room, which as you know is soundproof. So for the next… oh, probably thirty minutes or so, I can do whatever I want." Henshaw folded his hands together and leaned forward. "Now Agent Danvers, I am going to ask you one more time; are you ready to talk?" he growled.

Alex leaned forward as well, staring straight into the soulless eyes of the man in front of her. "I'm more than ready to tell you this; if they harm that little girl, I will rip your hamstring from your leg, wrap it around your neck, and use it to choke you to death," she informed him evenly.

Henshaw shifted and Alex could see a flash of fear cross his face before he quickly wiped it away.

"Your threats are only amusing, considering the position you're in."

"Let's wait until I am slowly squeezing the life out of you to decide whether it's amusing." Alex cocked her head slightly. "Although, at that point you might not be able to speak anymore."

She need him to be angry, to feel the fury tinted with terror that coursed her own blood, because she needed to buy time and information. And if she was lucky, she could make him mess up.

So when the man stood up, face painted in an expression of rage, and advanced toward her, she just prepared herself for what was coming.

 _"He's going to kick the chair out from under you,"_ the thought flashed through her mind. She didn't have time to identify where it came from as the chair was jerked from under her. With the warning, she was just able to catch herself, shoulder screaming in protest.

 _"Punch to the face_. _"_

Alex ducked as the fist flew at her, range of motion severely inhibited by the handcuffs holding her hands to the table, which was solidly bolted to the ground.

 _"Abdomen."_

Alex barely registered the thought before Henshaw's fist collided with her stomach and all the air was knocked out of her. She was thrown back, only to have the handcuffs catch her and excruciatingly rip into her wrists and swing her back toward the table.

 _"Just hold on, I'm coming."_

Wheezing, Alex struggled to find her footing, only to be thrown back again as the leg of the chair collided with her head, sending her to the ground, arms yanked above her head as her hands remained restrained to the table. Without her permission, a sound of pain was torn from her lips as something in her already-injured shoulder cracked. A voice whispered in the back her mind.

Somewhere beyond the muted sound of her own panting, she could hear Henshaw's deep chuckle. But even with her vision black around the edges from pain and blood running down her face, Alex felt suddenly invigorated.

Henshaw could push her down over and over again and she would just keep getting up.

Because she had a reason to fight.

Pure determination coursed through her body as she found her footing and stood.

"You can keep me chained to this table, but at some point _I will get free_ ," Alex told the director, ignoring the blood that dripped from her lip with every word. "And when that happens…"

 _"Incoming punch."_

She ducked and Henshaw staggered back, fear growing on his face.

"Even if you make me disappear, my team of agents will look into it. I'm too high up in this organization; nobody will just forget me like I'm sure you managed to make them forget the other agents that have gone missing. You killed them, didn't you? When they realize you're not protecting the world against aliens but that you're exterminating innocent species, you make them disappear."

"Shut up!" Henshaw took a step forward and Alex put her feet on either side of the back of the metal chair lying on the ground and used her legs to twist it around, the metal striking the director in the shins with a loud crack. He roared in pain, face twisting with agony. A voice whispered in the back her mind.

"Even chained to this table, I will kill you," Alex hissed at the director.

Henshaw pulled out his gun and pointed it at her head. "You were always my best agent." His dark eyes studied her face. "But there are some situations that even you can't escape from." The gun cocked.

Alex just shook her head sadly.

"I wish it didn't have to come to this." She paused, looking just past the director. "Do it."

The sound of a gunshot rang out.

* * *

 _ **Sorry to leave you on another cliffhanger but I promise I will update sooner this time. This chapter was later than desired because I wrote this section then totally rewrote it.**_

 _ **I'm really loving angry Alex, like dang... I impressed myself lol**_

 ** _Let me know what you think!_**

 ** _~silverlining_**

 ** _PS Yes I am aware that I am evil for what I am doing to Kara and Alex_**


	6. Show Me The Way

_**Hello beautiful beautiful readers, I am excited, happy, and more than a little sad to announce that this is the last chapter of A Chocolate Croissant Thief (stole my heart).**_

 _ **The story was always intended to be short; I originally had thought it would be a three-shot but here we are, a couple chapters past that. It's been so fun to explore this universe and slightly different writing style (along with some darker scenes) - thank you for coming along for the ride!**_

 _ **Quick note on Kara's selective mutism (because it's important to be accurate) - children with the condition often will be able to speak with reduced anxiety and in situations where they feel safe/comfortable. The story is meant to reflect that Kara is recovering (smiley face).**_

* * *

 _ **[IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT]**_

 _ **I wanted to let you all know that I will be taking a break from fanfiction as I am beginning a new job and life stage! I'll be working on my own novel as well - wish me luck!**_

 _ **That being said, The Bond That Binds Us (for any of you reading that) will still be updated every Monday, since it's already written. In addition, I will be periodically be checking my account, even when that is complete. So feel free to PM me for whatever reason your heart desires. I always love to hear from you.**_

 _ **Thank you for such an amazing experience! Until the next time, whenever that may be.**_

 _ **~silverlining**_

* * *

"Is he dead?" Alex asked the man standing behind the still form of Direct Henshaw.

"Yes." J'onn, who looked identical to the body lying on the ground, kicked the gun Henshaw had been holding, sending it skittering across the floor. "I am glad you heard what I said about shape-shifting." He stepped forward and snapped the thick chain that ran through the metal loop on the table and held Alex's hands together. "I was worried you wouldn't hear me with everything happening in here."

Even though in Director Henshaw's form, the Martian somehow managed to make the cold man's face soften with concern. His dark eyes, now tinted with care, swept over her various injuries.

"I was so focused on distracting him that I couldn't even spare a thought to what you said," Alex used her good hand to wipe the blood out of left eye from where it had run down from the contusion at her hairline. "Did anyone see you come in here?"

"They did." J'onn knelt to examine the director's body. "But they do not remember it anymore. Nor do they remember that they ever held a Green Martian here."

Alex stared at him. "You can do that?"

His eyes glowed red for a moment, a small smile twitching across his lips. "I think your agents will be pleasantly surprised the next time they meet Hank Henshaw and realize that he has developed morals. General Lane, however, might not be so happy that his partner no longer wants to decimate alien species."

Realization flooded Alex, hope rising to the surface of her being. She took a step forward and nearly collapsed, suddenly very aware of her injuries as her adrenaline began to fade slightly.

"I am very sorry it took me so long to intervene," J'onn shifted and Alex could feel his faint guilt. "I had to absorb all the director's memories first in order to ensure we could pull this off. Got through it all just in time, but not soon enough to prevent this…" He gestured at all of her.

Clearly she looked like a total mess.

Alex waved away his apology. "Just help me pop my shoulder back in," she requested, gritting her teeth as she gently probed at her shoulder with her good hand, taking stock of the situation. "I'm going to need both my arms to pummel the life out of Lane."

J'onn moved into position, gently but firmly putting his hands on her arm.

"Just do it," Alex clenched her jaw.

"I have an idea of how to get Kara without turning you both into fugitives forever." J'onn filled her mind with information and plans. "Take a deep breath," he instructed.

Thoughts consumed with the images and knowledge J'onn had given her, Alex distractedly took a deep breath and J'onn suddenly popped her arm back into position.

"Ahhhh!" She groaned, doubling over and breathing through her mouth as an overwhelming wave of pain washed over her. Curses and blood from her split lip dripped from her mouth.

"Better?" J'onn looked concerned in a way Henshaw never had been.

The tidal wave of agony ebbed slowly and Alex couldn't deny that her arm felt like it once again was attached to her body. "Much better," Alex straightened slowly.

"Ready to go?"

Alex nodded, clenching her hands into fists.

"Let's go get my kid."

* * *

"Where is she?!" Henshaw roared, flanked by several agents.

From her position a couple paces back, Alex almost forgot that Henshaw was in fact J'onn; his imitation was perfect.

 _Probably one of the perks of being able to absorb all the knowledge from someone's brain._

General Lane hurried to meet them partway down the hall, confusion clear on his face. "What the hell… This is a restricted military space!"

"The Kryptonian, I want her back," J'onn stopped only inches in front of the man's ruddy face.

Confusion turned to anger. "We made a deal, Hank," Lane hissed. "The terms were very clear. You can't just waltz in here and…"

"The terms have just changed since you traded me _faulty_ weapons. If you don't give me the Kryptonian back, I will personally bring your favorite journalist daughter on a personal tour of your basement facility."

"You can't," Lane's face drained of color. "You'd never get in."

"You're right." J'onn folded his arms. "I would just have to settle with the _scientific findings_ you've been updating me on, along with our communications. It wouldn't be as great as seeing it in person, but I'm sure your daughter would understand well enough to write an article that exposes what's going on here to the world."

Lane took a tiny step back. "Let's talk in my office," he grit out. "Alone."

J'onn motioned towards her and Alex stepped forward to follow him.

"I said _alone_ ," Lane stormed.

"Her presence is not optional." J'onn was already moving down the hall.

"Isn't she the traitor?" Lane had no option but to follow. His soldiers and Alex's agents trailed behind, exchanging looks of animosity and holding guns ready.

"You want to know who's a traitor? How about someone who purposefully sabotages a partnership."

They arrived at the office and Alex followed Henshaw and Lane into the room, the door shutting behind them.

Finally, they were alone.

"I didn't trade you faulty weapons, okay?! And you can't just discuss our business arrangements in front of my soldiers!" Lane slammed his hand down on his desk, face flaming. "I am this close to…"

"To what?" J'onn stalked forward, putting both hands on the desk and staring straight at the general. "Are you going to expose that I've been giving you aliens? Do you realize that _you_ are the one torturing them? All I have to say is that you convinced me they would be safer with you." J'onn's face morphed into a look of mock surprise. "I never knew you were _hurting_ them! I thought Cadmus was an alien _health_ organization, I thought you had gained their consent for testing and that the aliens _wanted_ to help you develop technology that would protect earth!"

"Nobody will believe you! If I go down, you go down with me." A vein in Lane's forehead throbbed.

"Do you think that would really happen?" J'onn paused his taunting, face solidifying into cold determination. "I would suggest you give me what I want. You can have your dumb technology back; my agents have already dumped it in one of your hangars."

Lane swallowed hard; Alex could see his Adam's apple bob. He stared at them both before touching his earpiece.

"Hangar A, have we received DEO-returned cargo?"

Alex couldn't hear whatever the general's soldier told him but knew it was an affirmative when the man nodded slightly at them.

"I'll have some soldiers take you to the Kryptonian."

They made their way to the basement of the military base, Alex's heart hammering against her chest so hard it hurt.

 _"_ _Can you read any of them to find out what's happening to Kara?"_ she pushed her thought toward the Martian beside her.

His words were short, upset, in her mind. _"It's not good, Alex. You're going to need to be prepared not to react."_ Even as he shared his thoughts, Alex could see his jaw clenching.

 _"_ _Tell me."_

He gave her three words. _"Already in surgery."_

Alex's vision flickered, her stomach churning and limbs going numb.

 _"_ _We are going to need to get her into sunlight and away from Kryptonite as soon as possible. I want you and your team to do the quickest possible extraction; I will deal with any aftermath with Lane."_

They rapidly approached a hall of laboratory rooms, a soldier leading them to a thick metal door. He began to open it then paused. "You really should be scrubbed in to enter…"

Alex shoved him out of the way and pushed past.

Her heart stopped.

Lying on an operating table in the glowing green room was Kara, her eyes closed and body still. Forms in white coats and masks bent over her with tools in their hands.

Everything blurred into a haze of terror and fury and before Alex knew what had happened, all the doctors in the room were on the ground and she was desperately trying to fix the damage they had done.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on…" Alex was trembling as she took in the sight before her. Without the surgical suction they had been using, blood was pouring onto the table and dripping to the floor. Alex screamed for medical assistance as she tried to close up the intentional wounds that had been inflicted. In the background she could faintly hear J'onn yelling for the Kryptonite emitters to be turned off.

"Sunlamps!" Alex ordered as she held the wounds together the best she could. "I need sunlamps!"

The green glow of the room suddenly disappeared, replaced by warm rays of light.

"Come on," Alex begged. "Come on."

Beneath her hands, Kara's skin began shifting, the wounds slowly but surely closing. Alex nearly collapsed with relief, her chest heaving and mind reeling with horror at what had been done. Quickly, she wiped away the blood on the girl's skin as best she could, checking that the skin had truly healed, before wrapping a sheet gently around Kara's form and pulling the girl into her arms. She cradled her close, glaring at any agent that got too close

 _"_ _Kill them,"_ she ordered J'onn silently as they hurried to the med evac vehicle. _"Kill every last one of them. Except Lane - I want to kill him myself."_

* * *

It was hours before Kara regain consciousness and in that time, Alex had allowed exactly nobody to touch the Kryptonian but her.

Someone had procured children's clothing; they didn't quite fit, but anything was better than the bloodstained operating gown. In the too-large t-shirt with a picture of a cat on it and baggy shorts, Kara looked even tinier than usual.

But at least she didn't look like she had been treated as a science experiment.

Alex dry heaved as images of what they had found at the lab filled her mind again. There was absolutely nothing left in her stomach though, it had been emptied long before when an agent had shown her the medical video the doctors had been making. Documenting their work, they had said.

Alex had destroyed it herself, instructing Winn to make sure any other records of the incident were wiped as well.

The door behind her opened. "How is she doing?"

Alex jumped at Henshaw's deep voice before forcing herself to relax. It would take some time before she got used to J'onn being Henshaw.

"I've been monitoring her vitals; she's going to be okay." Alex didn't look away from the Kryptonian, carefully stroking the girl's golden hair.

"How are _you_ doing?"

Alex glared at the man. "Fine." She crossed her arms, daring him to object. She had refused medical treatment; she wasn't the one who had nearly been dissected. And she was an adult, not a child.

"Is the room secure?" J'onn changed the topic, seeming to realize his current thread of questioning would bring him nowhere. He closed the door behind him, stepping forward to stand next to Alex.

"Soundproof and unmonitored," Alex informed him. She paused. "I want to take her home."

J'onn moved to the other chair in the room, sitting down carefully. "I can arrange that."

Alex looked at him for a moment, marveling at her boss's face being controlled by a being so opposite to him in every way.

"I've deleted all your Green Martian files. Any doubts on your identity?" She took Kara's hand and held it gently.

"None." J'onn shook his head. "Nobody really expects their boss to be killed and replaced by a shape-shifter. With any luck, I can slowly guide the DEO back to some semblance of humanity. But we'll talk extensively later." He stood up. "I'll arrange a transport."

"Thank you," Alex turned slightly to faced him. "If not for you…"

The Martian stopped her. "No, thank _you_ Alex. For the first time in… in a very long time, I feel like I have a purpose. I might not have been able to save my family, but there are beings that need to be protected here." His gaze rested on Kara. "I just needed to be roused out of my grief to be reminded of that. And now, I'm in the exact right position to do so."

Alex gave him a small smile before a subtle movement grabbed her attention. Turning back to Kara, she found that the girl's bright blue eyes were open.

" _Kara._ "

Alex hugged the girl close, rocking her back and forth as Kara clung to her. For a while, Kara just held onto her and Alex stroked her hair, murmuring what she hoped were soothing words.

Part of her was surprised that after the immense trauma that had just occurred Kara had moved immediately to be close to her. Alex didn't ponder it too long; mostly she was just incredibly glad that Kara felt safe with her. Her arms were exactly where she wanted the Kryptonian child to be.

So as long as Kara wanted her to be there, Alex wasn't going to move. Some bonds, Alex supposed, were made of blood. And others were constructed from steel; melted by extreme circumstances, purified by desperation, and solidified by genuine care.

Finally, Kara drew back slightly and touched Alex's face, a question shining her in her gaze.

"Everything is okay," Alex reassured her. "We're safe. And we're going home."

Suddenly Kara stiffened in her arms. As the Kryptonian pulled back, Alex could see what had alarmed the girl; she had noticed Henshaw's form in the room.

"Kara," Alex rubbed her back soothingly. "I know he looks like Director Henshaw, but this is actually J'onn J'onnz. He's a shape shifter – a Green Martian."

J'onn dipped his head, keeping a respectful distance as he quickly transformed.

Kara stared at the alien then looked at Alex, clearly trying to process the new information.

"It is an honor to meet you, Kara," J'onn smiled, red eyes crinkling around the edges. "I will be posing as Director Henshaw from now on; he is gone and not coming back. I _promise_ you and Alex will be safe." The Martian's tone was gentle and Alex could feel Kara physically relax.

The room was silent for a moment.

"Kara doesn't talk," Alex reminded J'onn, in case he was waiting for a response.

"That's okay," J'onn sat down with an easy smile. Alex could tell he was quietly taking in the way that Kara was clinging to her. "Alex is the best human here on earth, isn't she?" he addressed the small girl.

Kara nodded, peeking at the Martian shyly from where she had cuddled close to Alex.

"I think so too." J'onn leaned forward slightly. "That's why I'm going to make sure you can stay with her. Does that sound okay to you?"

Kara nodded again, a tiny smile appearing on her face. Very slowly, the girl reached out and put her hand on J'onn's large green one.

Alex could see tears well up in the Martian's red eyes at the Kryptonian's touch.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "Kara, you are changing everything for the better."

Alex couldn't agree more.

* * *

"Kara, I'm ordering pizza, do you want your usual?" Alex glanced into the room where Kara was at the table drawing. The girl didn't look up, just raised her fist in the air and dipped it forward.

 _Yes._

"Alright," Alex grinned and Kara looked up, touching her chin before moving her hand away. _Thank you._

Alex signed the motion back to her. _You're welcome._

Kara smiled, holding up her pinky and pointer finger, as well as her thumb.

 _I love you._

Alex stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the girl, kissing the top of her head.

"You're just saying that because I'm getting you pizza," she teased, her actions rewarded by Kara's beautiful smile. "I love you too." She leaned forward and kissed her kid's cheek.

Her kid.

The last couple of weeks had been challenging for everyone. Between J'onn's secret takeover of the DEO, Kara's constant nightmares, and Alex's healing injuries, her hands were more than full. But surprisingly, she had never been happier.

Alex never would have imagined that what was missing in her life was a little girl to take care of, but now that she was here, she could see that she needed Kara as much as Kara needed her.

Not to say it was easy though. Sometimes it felt like they were taking the tiniest possible steps forward and constantly stumbling back, like when Alex found out that Kara was hoarding food under her bed. Or when, for an entire week, the small Kryptonian refused to leave their new little house. Some days, Alex would walk into the living room and find Kara curled up on the couch, pressing noise cancelling headphones against her ears and sobbing. And the agent didn't even want to _try_ to count the number of things that had been accidentally broken.

But through it all, they kept pressing forward, finding new ways to communicate, new foods to taste, new parks to explore, and new bakeries to buy chocolate croissants from.

Shaking her head at the memories, Alex moved toward the kitchen but was stopped when a small hand caught hers.

Kara had gotten up and was holding out a drawing.

"Kara," Alex breathed, taking the paper gingerly. On it was a drawing of herself and Kara. Her face was tilted downward, smiling protectively at the girl she had her arms around, while Kara was looking up and laughing. "This is so beautiful," Alex marveled, fighting back tears at the touching gift. "Thank you."

Kara looked at her and her hand moved to her chin for a sign word but then the Kryptonian paused.

"Alex."

Alex froze, unsure if she had just heard what she thought she had heard.

"Alex." The girl's voice was soft, slightly raspy from disuse but the noise was definitely coming from the Kryptonian's moving lips.

"Kara." Alex stared at her. "Kara, you just spoke."

Kara nodded vigorously, face lighting up with a breathtaking smile.

Alex laughed with pure joy, sweeping up the girl and spinning her around. "Oh my god, Kara! That's amazing!" She kissed the girl's cheeks, her nose, her forehead. "You spoke!"

"Alex," Kara wrapped her arms around the agent's neck and legs around her waist. "Alex, Alex, Alex."

"Kara, Kara, Kara," Alex bumped her forehead lightly against Kara's. "I love you, so so much."

"I love you, Alex."

Kara's soft voice was the most beautiful thing Alex had ever heard.

* * *

Weeks and weeks later, Kara would tell Alex that she had been trying to speak the whole time, that the sorrow of the world had pushed all the words from her lungs and that in the wake of a universe of loss and uncertainty, she had lost her voice. She would tell her that she had forgotten how to hope until an early-rising agent had reminded her how.

Alex would hug her close and tell her that she had forgotten how to fight for what was right until a little chocolate croissant thief had shown her the way.


End file.
